Selection process of the Families

In 90% of the cases, Centro Mundolengua uses the same families for each program.

This means that the host families have worked with Centro MundoLengua and received students since 2005. This insures that families understand the types of students that we receive, as well as our expectations. New families are added to the list by word-of-mouth of already existing families. This serves as a pre-check to all of Centro MundoLengua’s processes:

01

New family is identified as a potential host family for our program. This is normally through word-of-mouth, but may be in some cases through our city-wide advertising.

02

An initial phone contact is made with our host family director. She speaks with the family, letting them know our purpose, and gains an idea if the family might be an acceptable candidate for a home visit. If possible, she also contacts other families in the neighborhood for personal references. The communities are very small, and it’s not uncommon for Centro MundoLengua to have already existing families that know of a new family.

03

If chosen as an acceptable family, our host family director will arrange a home visit. During the visit, she will inspect every area of the home, paying special attention to the bedrooms where students will be sleeping. Our host family director has been with Centro MundoLengua since 2007, and has ample experience visiting homes and in making sure the home is a good fit. Each member of the family will also be interviewed during this process. An initial written record will be opened on the family, with essential details about the home, family members, etc.

04

Our host family director will then discuss the idea with her direct supervisor of inviting the new family in question to participate, weighing the pros and cons. If the family is allowed to participate, they will be invited into the office for a final interview. During this interview, the family will be presented with Centro MundoLengua’s contract of conduct that all families must sign before working with us. Centro MundoLengua also does their own inquiring with local police, to insure that families do not have a record.

05

As students are placed with the new home (or any home, for that matter), our host family director will be in constant contact by phone with the families. She also makes surprise visits to check in on the students and home. Furthermore, our coordinators and professors are constantly asking students about their homestay experience. Students will fill out an initial written evaluation of their host family in the first week of the program. This allows us to identify any possible areas for improvement. All negative points are immediately addressed, with our host family director making a phone call to the family, and in many cases a personal visit. All new families are called within the first day or two of hosting students. Established families are also contacted on a continual basis. Families must personally visit Centro MundoLengua for compensation of their services, and during this time our housing director conducts a mini-interview as to how the student’s stay is going.

06

Since Centro MundoLengua offers a very personalized service, students have at their disposal throughout the program, the complete support of a dedicated team of directors, professors, and coordinators to resolve any problems. Support is offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. One or more program directors from Centro MundoLengua are always available.

07

All students fill out a final evaluation of their family. These comments, along with the initial evaluation, become part of the official written record that Centro MundoLengua keeps for each family. This allows us to eliminate any bad families, or families that are not keeping up with our standards over time.